GIDSov gathering in Australia
Credit: WolfLab Media
In April 2025, nearly 300 Indigenous delegates from around the world gathered in Australia for the Global Indigenous Data Sovereignty (GIDSov) Conference.
Hosted by Maiam nayri Wingara and Yardhura Walani, this landmark event marked a decade since the formal emergence of the Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement. Over three powerful days—two of which were reserved exclusively for Indigenous Peoples—participants shared knowledge, built alliances, and charted a course toward data systems that honor Indigenous governance, values, and self-determination.
The conference emphasized moving beyond principles into practice, spotlighting real-world examples of Indigenous-led data stewardship and culminating in a collective commitment to reshape the next decade of data sovereignty work across Nations.
Credit: WolfLab Media
This gathering marked the 10‑year milestone of the Indigenous Data Sovereignty movement, building on the 2015 event hosted by the Academy of the Social Sciences in Australia. The program featured keynote speeches, panels, workshops, and collaborative workshops. It foregrounded concrete steps to move beyond principles into practice, focusing on Indigenous-led data governance, application of the CARE principles (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics), and nation-specific case studies.
Participants charted a strategic path forward, culminating in a conference Communiqué outlining resolutions for the next decade . The Québécois Métis Nation of Ontario shared a landmark agreement with ICES to assert jurisdiction over Métis data, exemplifying Indigenous authority in data-sharing practices. Attendees reaffirmed the importance of Indigenous-generated governance frameworks, upholding values rooted in self-determination, consent, and ethical stewardship.
